Preview: Suns Need Massive Upset vs Spurs

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns move into Thursday's road test against the San Antonio Spurs needing to stop a three-game losing streak.

That won't be an easy task.

The 51-18 Spurs have a 72% chance to win tonight according to ESPN's basketball index. San Antonio has won their last eight-of-nine games entering tonight's 5:00 PM AZ tip time.

They're only 3.5 games back from the West's first seed and are top five in team categories such as points per game (119), rebounds (46.6) and point differential (+7.3).

Phoenix has actually won two-of-three matchups against the Spurs this year, and for what it's worth stop-gap Jordan Goodwin is healthy for this matchup.

Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has totaled just 26 points in the two games he played against Phoenix.

"They're just downhill in the paint, and Wemby's (Victor Wembanyama) a big piece of that. He's been talked about, his shot profile has changed a little bit, just more aggressive, more into the paint, where his initial catch is, is deeper. It is tough to get to his ball, he shoots it so high, and he's tall, so it'll be another unique challenge," Suns coach Jordan Ott said of Wemby.

"That's what the NBA is. And then defensively, just his paint presence defensively, what he's able to do, what they're able to do, to take away the paint because of his size, because of his rim presence. So that'll present another challenge, and just to see how it all looks tonight.”

The Suns aren't gaining any ground in their race to the top six of the West, and a fourth consecutive loss would tie their longest losing streak of the season.

Phoenix is top five in steals per game and three-pointers made, so there's a recipe to turn things around. However, Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale are questionable entering tonight while Mark Williams and Dillon Brooks are out.

The Spurs, meanwhile, are fully healthy on their injury report.

This is the final of a six-game road trip for Phoenix, one where their last three losses have all come under eight points or less.

"We've just got to learn how to win together. Still a first-year group that's dealt with injuries and not much time to go through these stretches earlier in the season together and figure out what works," Devin Booker said earlier this week.

While this won't be do-or-die tonight, the Suns sure need to stop the losing — but San Antonio is a tough task.